"during which salt, kelp, dried squid and chestnuts are buried in the center of the ""dohyō"". Observing officials and invited guests drink sake, Japanese traditional alcoholic drink as it is offered to each one in turn. The remaining sake is poured over the straw boundary of the ""dohyō"", as an offering to the gods. Shinto ritual still continues to pervade every aspect of sumo. Before a tournament, two of the sumo officiators known as gyōji functioning as Shinto priests enact a ritual to consecrate the newly constructed ""dohyō"". Each day of the tournament the dohyō-iri, or ring-entering ceremonies performed by"
"Mawashi In sumo, a is the belt (loincloth) that the ""rikishi"" (or sumo wrestler) wears during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a keshō-mawashi (see below) as part of the ring entry ceremony or ""dohyō-iri"". For top ranked professional ""rikishi"", it is made of silk and comes in a variety of colours. It is approximately in length when unwrapped, about two feet wide and weighs about . It is wrapped several times around the ""rikishi"" and fastened in the back by a large knot. A series of matching colour, stiffened silk fronds, called ""sagari"" are inserted into"
"belts of today. During the Edo period, wrestlers would wear a fringed decorative apron called a ""keshō-mawashi"" during the match, whereas today these are worn only during pretournament rituals. Most of the rest of the current forms within the sport developed in the early Edo period. The winner of a sumo bout is generally either the first wrestler to force his opponent to step out of the ring, or the first wrestler to force his opponent to touch the ground with any part of his body other than the bottom of his feet. Also, a number of other less common"
"sometime during the Edo period. The Yoshida clan was a prominent ""gyōji"" family. The ceremony is done to purify and concentrate the ""dohyō"", while also inviting the kami (Shinto deities) down to watch sumo. The ceremony is lead by one of the ""tategyōji"" (head referee) along with two other ""gyōji"". The ""gyōji"" take the place of Shinto priests. The ""tategyoji"" will pray for the safety and well-being of the wrestlers. In the middle of the ""dohyō"" a square hole is cut in where the ""tategyoji"" will then place inside: torreya nuts, dried chestnuts, salt, washed rice, dried squid or cuttlefish,"
"the bout, which is then announced to the audience. On rare occasions the referee or judges may award the win to the wrestler who touched the ground first. This happens if both wrestlers touch the ground at nearly the same time and it is decided that the wrestler who touched the ground second had no chance of winning, his opponent's superior ""sumo"" having put him in an irrecoverable position. The losing wrestler is referred to as being ""shini-tai"" (""dead body"") in this case. Sumo matches take place in a ""dohyō"" (土俵): a ring, in diameter and in area, of rice-straw"
"into the air by the low ranking wrestlers as a way of sending off the kami and officially ending the tournament. Dohyō The dohyō (土俵) is the ring in which sumo wrestling bouts are held. A modern ""dohyō"" is a circle of rice-straw bales 4.55 meters in diameter, mounted on a square platform of clay 6.7m on a side, and 34 to 60 cm high. The surface is covered by sand. A new ""dohyō"" is built prior to each tournament by the ""yobidashi"" (ring attendants), who are responsible for this activity. The process of building the ""dohyō"" takes three days,"
"rikishi may be given many of these ""keshō-mawashi"". ""Yokozuna"" have matching sets of three ""keshō-mawashi"", with two being worn by his wrestler ""assistants"" (his ""tachimochi"" and ""tsuyuharai"") during his ring entrance ceremony. In the Edo period the ""keshō-mawashi"" also served as the wrestler's fighting ""mawashi"". However, as the aprons become more ornate, eventually the two functions were split apart. In this period wrestlers were normally sponsored by feudal ""daimyō"" or overlords, whose clan crest would therefore appear on the ""keshō-mawashi"". Mawashi In sumo, a is the belt (loincloth) that the ""rikishi"" (or sumo wrestler) wears during training or in competition."
"rules can be used to determine the winner. For example, a wrestler using an illegal technique (""kinjite"") automatically loses, as does one whose ""mawashi"" (belt) comes completely undone. A wrestler failing to show up for his bout (even if due to prior injury) also automatically loses (""fusenpai""). Bouts consist solely of a single round and often last only a few seconds, as usually one wrestler is quickly ousted from the circle or thrown to the ground. However, they can occasionally last for several minutes. Each match is preceded by an elaborate ceremonial ritual. Traditionally, sumo wrestlers are renowned for their"
"Yobidashi A is an announcer who calls a professional sumo wrestler, or ""rikishi"", to the ""dohyō"" (wrestling ring) immediately prior to his bout. He does this by calling the name of each wrestler fighting in turn whilst holding a traditional folding fan. The outfit worn by the ""yobidashi"" is loosely based on an old style Japanese workman's outfit, with leggings and split-toed ""tabi""-like boots. In keeping with their workman outfits, the ""yobidashi"" are actually the Japan Sumo Association's handymen, or odd-job men, and have a wide variety of tasks. These include on match days: sweeping the ring, providing purification salt,"
"bales on top of a platform made of clay mixed with sand. A new ""dohyō"" is built for each tournament by the bout callers (or ""yobidashi""). At the center are two white lines, the ""shikiri-sen"", behind which the wrestlers position themselves at the start of the bout. A roof resembling that of a Shinto shrine may be suspended over the ""dohyō"". Women are traditionally forbidden from entering or touching the ring. Professional sumo is organized by the Japan Sumo Association. The members of the association, called ""oyakata"", are all former wrestlers, and are the only people entitled to train new"
"the top divisions before the start of their wrestling day are derived from sumo rituals. This ceremony involves them ascending the ""dohyō"", walking around the edge and facing the audience. They then turn and face inwards, clap their hands, raise one hand, slightly lift the ceremonial aprons called kesho-mawashi, and raise both hands, then continue walking around the ""dohyō"" as they leave the same way they came in. This clapping ritual is an important Shinto element and reminiscent of the clapping in Shinto shrines designed to attract the attention of the gods. The yokozuna's ring-entering ceremony is regarded as a"
"ring, called the dohyō is reminiscent of a Shinto shrine, the officiator is dressed in garb very similar to that of a Shinto priest, and the throwing of salt before a bout is believed to purify the ring. Prior to becoming a professional sport in the Tokugawa period, sumo was originally performed on the grounds of a shrine or temple. The present ""dohyō"", which is still considered sacred, is in honor of the days when matches were held on the sacred grounds of shrines and temples. The roof over the ""dohyō"" called ""yakata"" originally represented the sky for the purpose"
"to change their luck for the better. Rikishi only wear the silk ""mawashi"" during competitive bouts either during ranking tournaments or touring displays. During training, a heavy cotton ""mawashi"" is worn. For senior ""rikishi"" in the top two divisions (the so-called ""sekitori""), this belt is coloured white, and it is worn with one end distinctively looped at the front. ""Sagari"" are not worn during training. ""Rikishi"" ranked in the lower divisions wear a black cotton ""mawashi"" both for training in and in competition. In competition cotton sagari are inserted into the belt, but these are not stiffened. Amateur sumo wrestlers"
"sumo. The name literally means ""horizontal rope"" and comes from the most visible symbol of their rank, the worn around the waist. The rope is similar to the ""shimenawa"" used to mark off sacred areas in Shinto, and like the ""shimenawa"" it serves to purify and mark off its content. The rope, which may weigh up to , is not used during the matches themselves, but is worn during the ""yokozuna"" ""dohyo-iri"" ring entrance ceremony. As the sport's biggest stars, ""yokozuna"" are in many ways the public face of sumo and the way they conduct themselves is highly scrutinized, as"
"the winner in case of a tie. Unless a playoff is required, two wrestlers will fight each other no more than once in a whole tournament. The bout schedule is set by a committee of sumo elders a day or two in advance of a tournament day, and may be announced from the sumo wrestling ring the day prior by a senior sumo referee. Although there is no fixed method, for the first half of a tournament the top division of sumo wrestlers will generally pair the best-ranking wrestlers (""san'yaku"") against the lowest-ranking wrestlers (""maegashira"") in the tournament, with the"
"two jobs. Yobidashi A is an announcer who calls a professional sumo wrestler, or ""rikishi"", to the ""dohyō"" (wrestling ring) immediately prior to his bout. He does this by calling the name of each wrestler fighting in turn whilst holding a traditional folding fan. The outfit worn by the ""yobidashi"" is loosely based on an old style Japanese workman's outfit, with leggings and split-toed ""tabi""-like boots. In keeping with their workman outfits, the ""yobidashi"" are actually the Japan Sumo Association's handymen, or odd-job men, and have a wide variety of tasks. These include on match days: sweeping the ring, providing"
"Dohyō The dohyō (土俵) is the ring in which sumo wrestling bouts are held. A modern ""dohyō"" is a circle of rice-straw bales 4.55 meters in diameter, mounted on a square platform of clay 6.7m on a side, and 34 to 60 cm high. The surface is covered by sand. A new ""dohyō"" is built prior to each tournament by the ""yobidashi"" (ring attendants), who are responsible for this activity. The process of building the ""dohyō"" takes three days, and is done with traditional tools. The clay used is taken from the banks of the Arakawa River in Saitama Prefecture."
"best have a separate ring entry ceremony (""dohyō-iri"") from the remaining top division wrestlers. The ""dohyō-iri"" is a ceremonial presentation of all the top division wrestlers which is held before the competitive bouts of the day. The normal ceremony for top division wrestlers is to be introduced and form a circle around the wrestling ring (""dohyō"") wearing specially decorated heavy silk ""aprons"", called ""keshō-mawashi"". A brief symbolic ""dance"" is carried out before filing off to change into their fighting ""mawashi"" and prepare for their bouts. A ""yokozuna"", however, is introduced after the lower ranked wrestlers and is flanked by two"
"Tsuyuharai In professional sumo, the tsuyuharai (Japanese: 露払い, literally ""dew sweeper"") is one of the two attendants that accompany a ""yokozuna"" when he performs his ""dohyō-iri"" or ring entrance ceremony. The other attendant is called the ""tachimochi"". During the ceremony the ""tsuyuharai"" will precede the ""yokozuna"" into the ring. He will usually be following the ""gyōji"" who leads the three wrestlers, or ""rikishi"" to the ""dohyō"". As the ""yokozuna"" performs the ceremony he will squat on his left hand side. After the ""yokozuna"" has completed his ceremonial dance the ""tsuyuharai"" will once again precede him away from the ""dohyō"". The"
"Tsuyuharai In professional sumo, the tsuyuharai (Japanese: 露払い, literally ""dew sweeper"") is one of the two attendants that accompany a ""yokozuna"" when he performs his ""dohyō-iri"" or ring entrance ceremony. The other attendant is called the ""tachimochi"". During the ceremony the ""tsuyuharai"" will precede the ""yokozuna"" into the ring. He will usually be following the ""gyōji"" who leads the three wrestlers, or ""rikishi"" to the ""dohyō"". As the ""yokozuna"" performs the ceremony he will squat on his left hand side. After the ""yokozuna"" has completed his ceremonial dance the ""tsuyuharai"" will once again precede him away from the ""dohyō"". The"
"Tachimochi In professional sumo, the tachimochi (太刀持ち; lit.: sword carrier) is one of the two attendants that accompany a ""yokozuna"" when he performs his ""dohyō-iri"", or ring entrance ceremony. The other attendant is called the ""tsuyuharai"". During the ceremony the ""tachimochi"" will follow the ""yokozuna"", carrying his sword in his right hand, to the ring and squat on his right hand side. The ""yokozuna""'s sword is a traditional indication of his samurai status. After the ""yokozuna"" has completed his ceremonial dance the ""tachimochi"" will once again follow him off the ""dohyō"". The ""tachimochi"" must be a ""makuuchi"" ranked sumo wrestler"
"(and onto the wrestlers) after such a bout, though this is technically prohibited. Makuuchi This is the only division that is featured on NHK's standard live coverage of sumo tournaments. The lower divisions are shown on their satellite coverage, with only the ""makuuchi"" broadcast having bilingual English commentary. ""Makuuchi"" literally means ""inside the curtain"", a reference to the early period of professional sumo, when there was a curtained-off area reserved for the top ranked wrestlers, to sit before appearing for their bouts. Wrestlers are considered for promotion or demotion in rank before each grand tournament according to their performance in"
"and an exercise in self-discipline. During practice, wrestlers throw a few handfuls of dirt onto their own bodies and that of their opponents as a form of blessing, which also provides for a better grip. Once the arena has been prepared a prayer is offered to the gym's patron deity, most commonly Hanuman. Every training hall has a small makeshift altar for this purpose, where incense is lit and small yellow flower garlands are offered to the god. This is followed by paying respect to the guru by touching the head to his feet, a traditional sign of respect for"
"when it gets wet. A regular sumo ring circle is made of rice-straw bales which deform with water. The illuminating decoration is managed by Honda’s disciples from a backroom. According to the backstory Honda was raised in a large bathhouse since a young age. Since Honda loves both sumo and hot baths he decided to combine both and made a sumo ring in the public bath. In his backstory in ""Street Fighter II"", E. Honda is mentioned to have begun his training as a child, singularly focused on becoming the greatest sumo wrestler of all time. He would eventually achieve"
"including a referee dressed as a Shinto priest, and a ritual where the competitors clap hands, stomp their feet, and throw salt in the ring prior to each match. To win a match, competitors employ throwing and grappling techniques to force the other man to the ground; the first man to touch the ground with a part of the body other than the bottom of the feet, or touch the ground outside the ring with any part of the body, loses. Six grand tournaments are held annually in Japan, and each professional fighter's name and relative ranking is published after"
"and two other ""gyōji"" acting as Shinto priests will perform the ""dohyō matsuri"" (lit. ring festival) where they will concentrate and purifies the ring. They also officially lead the ring entering ceremonies. During a tournament they announce the following day's matchups. They also are responsible for keeping the records of wrestlers' results, and determining the technique used by a particular wrestler in winning a bout. At the end of the tournament one ""gyōji"" will stand in the center of the ring and will be tossed into the air by lower ranked wrestlers as a way of sending off the ""kami"""
"great girth and body mass, which is often a winning factor in sumo. No weight divisions are used in professional sumo; a wrestler can sometimes face an opponent twice his own weight. However, with superior technique, smaller wrestlers can control and defeat much larger opponents. In some situations a review of the gyōji's decision may be needed. The judges outside the ring, who sit at eye level (the ""shimpan"") may convene a conference in the middle of the ring, called a ""mono-ii"". This is done if the judges decide that the decision over who won the bout needs to be"
"tightly and splash a little water on it to help prevent his opponent from getting a good grip on it. His choice will depend on the type of techniques he prefers to employ in his bouts. Thus a wrestler preferring belt sumo will usually wear it more loosely, while those preferring pushing techniques will tend to wear the ""mawashi"" more tightly. Many ""rikishi"" are superstitious and they will change the color of their ""mawashi"" to change their luck. Sometimes a poor performance will cause them to change colors for the next tournament, or even during a tournament, in an attempt"
"this is partly out of necessity as many wrestlers are too big to fit behind a steering wheel. Breaking the rules can result in fines and/or suspension not only for both the offending wrestler and his stablemaster. On entering sumo, they are expected to grow their hair long to form a topknot, or ""chonmage"", similar to the ""samurai"" hairstyles of the Edo period. Furthermore, they are expected to wear the ""chonmage"" and traditional Japanese dress when in public, allowing them to be identified immediately as wrestlers. The type and quality of the dress depends on the wrestler's rank. ""Rikishi"" in"
"fan, which is solid, rather than folding, and usually made of wood. They were used by samurai officers to communicate commands to their troops and are still used in ""sumo"" matches. The sumo wrestling organization holds much respect for old traditional regulations and has strict rules. As such, it is a very rare case for a non-traditional contemporary artist like Hajime to design gunbai, one of the most important items for sumo matches. Hajime designed special gunbai for Kenjirou Kimura, a ""gyōji"" or sumo referee. The gunbai was named ""Hana-ha Utsukusisugite E ni dekinai"" (花美絵無), or ""Flowers are too beautiful"
"line of the circle at the four cardinal directions, these are called privileged bales (""tokudawara""). Originally, this was to allow rain to run off the surface, when sumo tournaments were held outdoors in the open. Today, a wrestler under pressure at the edge of the ring will often try to move himself round to one of these points to gain leverage in order to push back more effectively against the opponent who is trying to force him out. At the center are two white lines, the ""shikiri-sen"" (仕切り線), behind which the wrestlers must position themselves at the start of the"
"of emphasizing the sacred nature of ""dohyō"", which symbolizes the earth. On the day before the beginning of each tournament, the ""dohyō-matsuri"", a ring-blessing ceremony, is performed by sumo officials called ""gyōji"". They are the referees on the ""dohyō"", who judge each sumo match. Their elaborate, colorful costumes are based on ceremonial court robes of the Heian period (AD 794 – 1185). Also their black hats are exact copies of the hats worn by Shinto priests depicted in various Heian art. Dressed in the white robes of a Shinto priest ""gyōji"" purify and bless the ""dohyō"" in a solemn ceremony"
"flower-sumo) as it is not taken as seriously by the wrestlers. ""Honbasho"" last for 15 days. Sumo wrestlers ranked in the top two divisions (""makuuchi"" and ""jūryō"") wrestle once each day, while those of the lower divisions wrestle seven times, approximately once every alternate day. The first aim for most wrestlers is to achieve ""kachi-koshi"", or a majority of wins, and thus ensure a promotion for the next tournament. In addition for each division there is a championship prize (""yūshō"") for the wrestler with the most wins at the end. A playoff on the final day is used to decide"